The Sun. — London, England, 1864-02-15 00:00:00

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA. FROM RICHMOND TO WASHINGTON. '(From the )Special Correspondent of the Times.) NEW YORK, Jan. 27. So far as my own experience goes it would appear that there is no more difficulty in passing from Washington to Richmond and Richmond to Wash ington than there is in proceeding from the latter place to Baltimore, or from Augusta to Charleston. Of course, I would not have your readers imagine that it is desirable for a stranger to follow the example of the able author of " Guy Livingstone," and to talk secession publicly for many weeks in Baltimore before he hazards the experiments of passing through the lines to Richmond. With such antecedents he will probably insure failure when he makes his effort to cross the border ; but, as suming that he possesses ordinary discretion and confidence, there is nothing to prevent a man cross ing backward and forward when he pleases except considerable exposure on the Potomac river and possibly a long walk upon either bank. There is, in fact, abundant reason to think that the seats of the two rival Governments of this continent habitually swarm with emissaries from the enemy. Such will probably always be the case when the belligerents speak the same language, and more so where their lines stretch over such an immensity of area. But it is felt in Richmond, and probably also in Washington, that the presence of spies is of wonderfully little importance. There is nothing that could injure the Confederate cause to be scented out in the streets of Richmond. for upon the whole, considering the irksomeness, the pressure, and the weariness engendered by the war, I do not believe that history can exhibit so harmonious and homogeneous a nation as the Southerners, Simi larly, from various reasons, and chiefly, as I believe, from their ignorance about the South, the war lever in the North has swept opposition before it, since General Lee's retreat from Pennsylvania and the fall of Vicksburg. It will take at least twelve months more of hope deferred before the North consent to drain the bitter cup so long and so resolutely held away from his lips by stanch old George 111. That this cup will have to be drained, if not within the next twelve months, at least within the next twelve years, is, in my judgment, as inexorable a fact as a mathemati cal demonstration, as much beyond Federal preven tion as the revolution of the planets. There is a strange shadowy sense of unreality attached to passing 16 months in and about Rich mond, and then waking up to find oneself in Wash ington. To describe such a transition would demand not only unrivalled descriptive and antithetical ex cellence, but also some such quaintness of conceit as has exhibited Rip Van Winkle starting from his long slumber in Sleepy Hollow. In Richmond the spectator has for months and months been familiar with war about his path and about his bed, and at all his meals and under every roof. War is breathed in at every breath, wafted upon every breeze, heard in every sound, visible at every step. For grace and elegance and lettered ease there is neither time nor superfluity of resource ; nor, it must be added, are they compatible with the sublime earnestness of temper exhibited by man and woman. Sentries at the head of every street substantiate the passer's identity and investigate his right to be absent from the army. As earliest dawn breaks, you are awak ened by the long monotonous chorus of thousands of negroes, engaged in completing the defensive works around Richmond, and going forth cheerfully to their labour, which has long ago assumed such proportions as to defy the assault of 200,000 men. This is no idle statement of my own, but taken from the lips of the oldest, ablest, and least boastful of Confederate offi cers, whose name will suggest itself to every reader. Cannon are constantly seen in the streets—either new 12- pounder Napoleons going up to the army from the Tredegar Works, or guns which have undergone repair, or field-pieces which are going North or South ; the well-known lean, lank, ragged " gray back" troops, with the same lordly defiant air of in dividuality and self-assertion as ever,con stantly troop through the city, with their old wild, discordant yells making day or night hideous. The familiar Southern tunes of "Dixie" or " The Mocking Bird," execrably interpreted by a few fifes, a cornet, and a drum, con trast marvellously with the rich swell of fine Ger man bands in Washington, which render to perfec tion the " Last Rose of Summer," or one of Men delssohn's superb marches, crashing among the dis tant echoes of Pennsylvania Avenue. And yet there is a heart, a verve, and a sauciness about the Southern " Dixie" and the mien of its interpreters, which are looked for in vain among the stolid German musi cians of W? ashington and the gaudy troops bedizened with gold lace who follow them. But other symptoms of war, with the exception of the uniforms in the streets, Washington has none to show. The redundancy of " greenbacks"—those evidences, according to Mr. Seward, of a mighty nation's exuberant prosperity—is very perceptible in the increased crowd of the streets and the hungry look of greed which every face wears. But perhaps there is no sadder sign of the times which have brought sudden wealth to all and moral thoughtful ness to none, than the übiquity and boldness of the frail sisterhood who throng every avenue and public resort, seeking the smiles of the contractors, pecu lators, and nouveaux riches, and blending in a scene which could alone be photographed in language by the pen of a Juvenal. Ou every side money flows, as though the Potomac were the Par.:toles. The dome of the Capitol, which once promised to share the fate without rivalling the beauty of Cologne Cathedral, is finished, and surmounted by a Goddess of such Liberty as even Madame Roland never con ceived. The hotels are thronged to bursting; Wil lards, in particular, is occupied by an excited, pike eyed seething crowd, such as vibrates in the coulisses of the Parisian Bourse. At night theatres, gambling boasts, " Varieties," and worse dens of infamy, veiled under no pretence at disguise, vie with the attractions of the " inspired Maid of Philadelphia," Miss Anna Dickinson. Mr. Seward's optimism is accepted without thought or comment ; no sound of war save the occasional boom of cannon being tried at the Navy-yard (a sound soothing to Yankee vanity) ever flutters the senses ; Mr. Lincoln and - Nita Chase openly, and Mr. Seward secretly, are Bpeculating much more as to their chances for the next Presidency than as to the strength of General Lee or the designs of President Davis. Proceed next to New York, and the recollections of R ichmond, blurred by intercourse with Washing ton, fade into the hazy distance, and can be reoalled only by a vi gorous effort of the understanding. But as he journeys northwards from Washington the passenger cannot but dreamily contrast the memory of his recent sufferings upon the overtasked railroads of a Dixie" with the speed, the comfort, and the roominess of the Northern car. I shall not attempt to carry your readers into Broadway—a thousand times described, but as ilidescribable as Niagara— nor to enter upon attempt at detail. There is such matter for all feeling in this street that the mind sinks crushed. Luxury, ostentation, heedlessness, heedlessness—the richest furs, the gaudiest silks, the brightest bonnets, the most e glitterin g c a nnes, diam onds, operas, th ea t res , c oncerts, ra re 6 cafes hta shows of every hue—why should I seek to p ro l ong the list? At Delmonico's famous restaurant, or at the Maison Doreo, Spaniards, Frenchmen, Italians, Englishmen discuss wines and viands to which no thing superior can be exhibited at Philippe's or at Vefour'7. As for a thought of the war, of the 500,000 souls which it has hurled into eternity, from the North, or the 200,000 Confederates who have died grimly pro arts et focis—Why speak or think of such a ghastly theme? Good taste for bids its mention ; nevertheless, if ever among the upper ten thousand its name is breathed, it struck m e that four times out of five the sym pathy was with the South and Jeff. Davis. Stately po:icemen in blue or gray uniforms patronise the ladies if hustled in crowded Broad way or take sly drinks with admiring friends. Why is it that Democracy converts the hotel clerk, the steamboat or railway conductor, the policeman, and such like into a kind of demi god—a man only as good as hie neighbour, but vastly greater and loftier ? Occassionally, with the usual fanfares of magnificent bands, regiments " from our country's glorious battlefields" parade along Broadway with battle flags tattered and torn, and (as is insinuated) riddled into shreds by the tornado of shot through which they nave passed. I have, as it happens, seen too many Confederate battle flags which have been through every en counter of the war, and which (as the Northern bullets are far more numerous than th , Southern) have been exposed to a fiercer fir to believe in this demonstration of Northern bloodthirstiness. But the sight never fails "to bring the house down," and elicit the rapturous cheer of Broadway, which believes in the truthfulness of the exhibition, and makes many a secret resolve to keep far away from the spot where such scenes are enacted. But all things the most astonishing and bewil dering to the stranger fresh from Richmond is the sons and daughters. I have hardly patience to dwell upon the evidences of my meaning. A slave who has run away from Richmond, and gives out that he has escaped from President Davis, is ele vated into an authority, and mounts the rostrum through the columns of the public journals. "The Southern armies are melting away by desertion, and Lee and Longstreet can hardly keep the field." It will be as well to state once for all that in the spring, summer, and autumn months the balance of deserters is always in favour of the Confederates, but that in the depth of winter, while inaction and stagnation prevail, the Federals are, as it were, tethered by their teeth to their own standards. "North Carolina is on the eve of yielding to the blandishments of Gen. Butler, and, headed by Go vernor Vance, will be back in the Union by the 4th of next July." Am I dreaming, or did I hear a fort night ago from Governor Vance that he would ra ther fight for 20 years than consent to anything but full, final, and irrevocable dissolution of the Union ? " Vice-President Stephens, the ablest man in the South, is at the point of death." Daring 16 months in the Confederate States I have never seen and scarcely ever heard of Vice-President Stephens. The list of similar chimeras might be swelled to infinity. As it was in the beginning, so it is now, and so it will be to the end. Suppressto yen* alter nate with suggestio falsi : the Union must and shall be maintained, because every man in the Northern States so wills it, and will give his last dollar rather than abandon the contest ! It is useless to reply that the dollars which they are giving are " bogus ;" that this war will be won not by those who print fastest, but by those who shed their blood most freely, and face self-denial with most sublime indif ference. " Constantly prefer a state of want to a state of abundance," says one of the wisest writers of all time. Behold in the contrasted aspect of two sections the moral conveyed in this apothegm ! I could not but think, in the first instance, of my parting conversation, a few hours before, with President Davis ; of his calm weighty analysis of the comparative strength of the belligerents about to close in a fourth and deathlier grapple; of his quiet earnest confidence ; his kindling eye, Were it not that I remember that the deified Wash ington was surrounded on earth by detractors and vilifiers—that on his right hand stood Charles Lee fomenting by anonymous addresses discord among the American troops, and on his left Jefferson lend ing his great powers to secret defamation of his chief—l should search for special attributes in the Southerners to account for the fact that, although almost unanimous against the Yankee, they lack wisdom or virtue enough to appreciate the man whom, of all others, Providence has accepted for his mighty task. But, in spite of their indignant re fusal to be gauged by the measure of other nations, history is for the Americans the same revolution of cycles and repetition of incidents as for every other people on earth. Secondly, as I looked down on 'Broadway, and mused upon its kaleidoscopic face, I could not but remember the reflections of one of the brightest intellects in Richmond, as he told me, when taking leave of him, in what garb I should find New York, and described the scene now before me with the in tuition of genius, and in words which it would be well if I could reproduce for your readers. He said, " What delights me above all is to hear of the wealth, the splendour, the lavish prodigality of New York. Tiffany never had such a demand for dia monds, Stewart can hardly sell a shawl if it is worth less than 1,500 dollars. Never were there such im ports of women's gear from Paris, of articles de luxe from London. For all this payment in gold is in dispensable; the day of reckoning will come, though it may not be yet." It is impossible not to ask " When will that day come ?" I own that Ido not think the end is at hand yet. It is not necessary that I should waste your readers' time by pointing out that a defensive war was never yet stopped by financial destitution, and that therefore the depreciation of the Southern currency is of insignificant moment. But, although in the course of the present year gold cannot but constantly be on the rise in New York, even although the North may gain considerable suc cesses, it will be long before the fabric of visionary wealth which they are worshipping will crumble into dust. Upon this subject no warnings from an Englishman will be for a moment endured. I will conclude, therefore, by quoting an extract from an American authority, who tells his countrymen, if they wculd but listen to him, that " Tolluntur in altum, " Ut lapsu graviore ruant," In 1855 Professor Bowen, who occupies the chair of Moral Philosophy at Harvard College, pub lished a work which deservedly met with high approbation throughout the Northern States. I would venture to invite to this work the attention of all those who wish to see able writing about paper money and its delusions. Professor Bowen points out that in 1783 the continental currency issued by the American Congress when struggling in the agonies of the Revolutionary War amounted to 200,000,000 dole. in circulation, and that 500 dole, and even 1,000 dots. in this currency was offered for one in silver. He adds, in substance, the following remarks:—" It must not be inferred, however, that this rapid depreciation of the currency will seem to impede traffic or paralyse industry. On the contrary —at least until the depreciation has become extreme, I say 500 for I—commerce and labour will be galva nized into unnatural activity, and a deceitful glow of animation and success—like the flush of a fever —will appear to pervade the nation. Prices rise, of course, as rapidly as the currency falls; property which was sold for 100 dols. to-day will command 500 dole. or 1,000 dols. to-morrow. At the same time money is superabundant, and those who were once too poor to buy can now easily obtain the means of purchase. The pressure of debt is also lessened ; obligations are cancelled by paying back what is actually but one half, one fourth, or a still smaller fraction of the real value which was due. Ease in getting rid of old debts only creates a thirst for contracting new ones. Commerce is thus stimu lated, while the basis on which it rests is every day becoming less secure. A reckless spirit of specula tion akin to gambling in its chat acter and results appears to have seized the greater part of the com munity. The circulation of continental money in America in 1779, as we are told by a writer of that day, was ' never more brisk and quick than when its exchange was 500 for I.' And M. Thiers, speaking of the depreciation of the French assignats in 1795, says that to the horrors of famine were added the scandals of reckless speculation and stock jobbing, the sale of merchandise which had no ex istence—as the pretended traffic was only betting on prices —and the diffusion of a taste for luxury, dis sipation, and excess which is the invariable con comitant of sudden mutations of fortune.' . . . Professor Bowen then explains the cause of this de preciation of the paper money, which he shows to be its excessive issue and the fact that it is irredeem able. Speaking of a reversion from paper to specie currency, he says—J. The immediate consequences are in striking contrast with the results already noticed of the first issue of paper money and its gradual depreciation. The latter seemed to animate industry and commerce, to relieve the pressure of debt, and to supply abundant funds for enterprises which must otherwise have been abandoned ; but the former seems to carry the community back by a cruel revulsion to worse evils than those from which it had apparently been rescued ; it is the state of collapse which sometimes follows the excitement and delirium of a fever. It is now seen that the issue of paper money is really a desperate measure, that the relief which it promises is but temporary, and that the prosperity which it causes is wholly fallacious." THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 15, 1864. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE, capital account during the past half-year amounts to £925,114, of which £496,041 was expended on the main lines, £132,732 for additional rolling stock, £25,000 sub scribed to the West LOndon Extension, £263,260 to the North London Extension, £28,787 to the Buxton Extension, £9,918 to the Disley and Hayfield, £25,000 to the Cocker month and Penrith, and £2,570 for the improvement of the permanent way. The revenue account for the half-year ending 31st December shows that £2,677,403 had been re , ceived and £1,279,597 expended, including £40,264 parish rates and taxes, £40,310 passenger duty, £25,000, Parlia mentary and legal proceedings, £7,338 depreciation and insurance of steamboats, and £106,667 renewal of road, leaving a balance c f £1,397,811. To this is added £16,885 from the preceding half-yaar,19,106 interest on cash balances and calls in arrear, £29,76 3 rents of land and buildings, and £69,308 estimated dividends from other companies-making together £1,522,874. From this is deducted £255,088 for interest on loans and debenture stock, £11,004 for chief rents and interest on land purchases, £2,000 Preston and Wye lease, £24,900 Buckinghamshire lease, £2,750 Cannock mineral lease, £29,560 North Union dividend and interest, £87,451 Chester and Holyhead dividend and interest, £139,681 Lancaster and Carlisle dividend and interest, £1,473 Kendal and 'Windermere dividend and interest, £33,471 Shropshire Union Railway and Canal lease, £512 Buxton and Matlock lease, £l5O West London lease, £2,729 Leeds and Liverpool and Rochdale Canal lease, £14,637 Stour Valley lease, £23,590 Birkenhead lease, £6,006 'Warrington and Garston lease, £2,597 Oldham and Guide-bridge lease, £BOB St. George's Harbour lease, £11,564 Shrewsbury and Hereford lease, £5,265 Merthyr and Abergavenny lease, £2,000 Cromford and High Peak lease, £4,626 Stockport. Disley, and Whaley-bridge agree ment, £2,375 Buxton Extension, £31,174 South Stafford shire agreement, £5,670 Shrewsbury and Welshpool agree ment, £7,138 Bedford and Cambridge agreement, £,OlO South Leicestershire, £2,661 Central "Wales, £2,116 Hayd on square depot interest-total, £717,470, leaving a disposable balance of £805,403, out of which is deducted £784,198 for the proposed dividend at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum, leaving a balance of £21,205. WEST YORKSHIRE. The report states that the expenditure on capital account has been £285,096, The net 13%lance of revenue, after pay ment of interest on debentures, &c., is 110,422. A dividend at the rate of £7 per cent. per annum will absorb £7,918, which, with 4 per cent, upon the asset stock, £532, will make £8,450, leaving a balance of £1,972, The reserve fund now amounts to £8,765. The main line and Ossett branch are reported by the engineer as in satisfactory condition, and the works on the Batley and Methley branches are ex pected to be completed during the summer. GREAT NORTHERN. The report of the directors of this company states that, up to the 31st of December, £12,729,323 have been ex pended on capital account, and £12,689,416 received, the expenditure being £39,907 hi excess of the receipts. The expenditure of capital during the half year was £305,630, but the balance of the premium realised by the sale of £115,000 irredeemable preference stock, has with other small sums been piaced to the credit of this account, The net amount of expenditure is therefore £299,335. The net increase in the balance, as compared with the same half of 1862, is £6,084. The sum available will yield the follow ing dividends :—On the original stock at the rate of £8 lbs. per cent. per annum ; giving for the half-year £1 7s. 6d. to the original stock, £3 to the B stock, and £5 15s. to the A stock, leaving a balance of £213. The dividend for the year 1863 will therefore be £6 10s. per cent. on the original stock, £6 per cent. on the B stock, and £7 per cent, on the A stock. LONDON AND BLACKWALL. The report of the directors states that the total revenue for the half-yeat ending the 31st December last, with the balance of £669 from the previous account amounts to £66,85L and the expenditure to £22,617, leaving a net profit of £44,234; and, after payment of interest on deben lures, there is a balance of £35,7 50 available for dividend. This balance enables the directors to provide for dividend on the £250,055 41 preference stock, which will amount to £5,626, and to recommend the payment of a dividend at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum upon the ordinary stock, leaving £943. ....------ - <it; SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. bars or to capitulate, preferred to withdraw, and, the privilege of laying a railway above o r bei lit for , sharply pursued by the enemy, retreated upon Flees- and a still more audacious engineer has hr° ° g i n the Lonnots REISIEw.—Lord Russell's Foreign office burg, whence the major portion of the army crossed ward a plan for carrying a line on a viaduct dar " piece" has had a long run ; bat there are sym - into the district of Schleswi g , called from the arm stream of the r iver itself , with stations aiPoners toms that the audience is growing tired, and if the of the sea which se p arates it from the mainland t he p roaches at all the bridges. A so-called gide - Li on le noble lord does not play a liiCe better it runs a risk Is land of Aslen. The Danes fou g ht i n thei r retreat Railw a y is designed to pass from Kens in gpirnn of being damned. Disguise the unpalatable fact as with despairing courage, defending , hedge after Knightsbridge, thence to Hyde-park-corner' go , of we may,the English nation has twice within the last hed g e. The p eo p le of Flensbur g defended their dilly,Charing-cross, and the Strand; an d a va n r- a rhed six. months had the mortification to see its almost ba rricades till the y had killed a thousa nd German s ; subordinateechemes of thesanie com p anYar° of the menacing remonstrances treated with cool con . and at Oversee, when utterl y outmatched, a Danish d ow n over all the mo st important pa rts its $ tempt. This succession of good things leaves a very regiment flung itself upon the Austrian batte- metropolis. A yet more ambitious coruPFl,isniell bitter taste in the mouth. Pill over-night in the rice, and, though almost destroyed itself, saved the project to supply the whole accommodation 8,,,... Polish affairs is followed by a pill in the Danish remainder of the . army. I t i s a ll use l ess , f or o the London requires by a double circuit of rai%inef business the next morning ; and all our desire to rain descends alike on the just and on the unjust," one for th e conven ience o f t h e g oods busin es ! he stn believe the treatment scientific does not prevent us no moral superiority counterbalances bayonets, and main lines, and the other as a substitute fort I , erl from thinking it unpalatable. As far as Poland was En laid does not seem even to feel the grandeur of nibus traffic in the interior of Londom on g ose concerned we are far from condemning the Govern - the effort the hope of her support has tempted brave suburb of gre a t or little importance has at ggzsio ment for either adopting or remaining content with men to make. The Germans, flushed with th eir line in embryo, to bring it into immediate con diplomatic action. The treaty which gave Poland victory, have, to prove their respect for the Treaty with the City. Tottenham and Edgw ar a e 'fassir to Russia, in spirit if not in letter, made the great of 1852, alread y "sus p ended" the Danish Govern- mersmith and Cla p ton, Walthamstove anu, o doo, Powers of Europe into a kind of silent Protectorate. ment, and to show their devotionto j ustice and stead, and a s c ore of ot her districts around Sur rey Lord Russell's fault, then, was not in meditating nationality have ordered that Danes as well as Ger- are all. to be amply provided for ; and t be arne ssd di or in remonstrating, but in giving vent loudly to m ane shall use the German ton g ue. The p eo p le side is t o be lin k e d t o the North b y lines n''''ffe ect pro t es t a tions that England would never take offence north of Flensburg are still ready to die for their below the river, at_ we know not how mall °jester w hatever the language held to her by Russia. One country ; but the p eo p le south of tha t po i nt a re points. Besides the crowd of independent P r o t he serious blunder disgraced the diplomatic negotia- allowed to speak for both, and to proclaim Prince every great line is pushing inwards either pith tion that otherwise would only have been inefficient. Frederick as Duke alike of the willing and the un- City or the West End. The Great Easter bo re. Lord Russell, in a moment of generous improvi- willing population. All Danes within reach of the some reason, is weary of its banishment in , an fares went down to the country, and on a count r y Hun g arians, Croats,Slavons,ltalians,and Austrians g Hungarians,Croats,Slavons,ltalians,andAustrians, ditch; and the Great Northern, the ittlidla,°u'ncee platform declared Russia's title to Poland under who make u p what Vienna calls a German arm y , are the North Western are setting thelrbigia the treaty gone. When you do not mean to bite , ex p elled, Germans who think freedom worth as much southward, and threatenin g to convert ,viireosa it is a mistake to bark. But Lord Russell inc a u - as nationalit y are com p elled to follow them, and Cross and all the immediate neighs boos' tiously went home and penned a despatch to St. h u n dreds of q uiet families g uilt y of lo y alt y to an into a vast combination of terminal s ic l' a Petersburgh repeating this exasperating assertion. English treaty are wandering northwards in this In spite of unmanageable levels, the Strand 0r On a semi-official threat of war from Russia — fo r bitter w ea t her, without home or shelter or g oal, p assed, and the new station on the site of ols it amounts to that—he withdrew it by a hasty tele- cursing, we fear, the sympathies which induced ford Market to be made available for °l o ts"' graph. Lord Derby's Shakspearian simile here them to believ e th at En g land, even w hen not bound Northern s y stem. But i t is vain to attempt for file becomes not altogether inappropriate. Lord Rus - down by a lawyer' s contract, could still be relied on merate halt the p ro p osals which are meu`theool sell and the month of March seem always to come to hel p freemen a g ainst violent wrong. The Danes, demolition of London, As laid down 0 1 300 *oft ° in like lions, and always to go out like lambs. it is believed, will still, with the persistence of their they may be seen to reduce the habitable _. and , Having finished with Russia, Lord Russell's S candin a vian blood, maintain the contest, harassin g metro p olis b y a ver y considerable percentsg o v ic ' h tte next achievement was his answer to the Ern- the invaders from Alsen, and by sea, until events what is more important in the view in W iii Tina' petor's proposal for a Congress. It is probable on c e more t urn, b u t there is no real g round of ho p e ; re g ard the ma t ter, the y leave scarcely rionic', that the Ministry exercised a wholesome diet- forty millions of people in earnest are not to be re- whether short or long, above or belowr'eadi t i cretion in declining that barren invitation. But sisted b y less than two, however individuall y su p e- without some bod y of p ro j ectors who 11 ":1 03 Olt the Emperor of the French was a courteous and riot:, and the Germans are in earnest. They are en- undertake its construction. Whatever , is tse , powerful ally. All that Lord Russell was called joying the threefold luxury of seeing that when perfect system of railways for the upon to do was to lay aside the pedant, and to be combined for evil they are strong, of hoping that be thought to be, the whole of it is assure l , d . c i a lis r : for a moment a man of the world. Cold, glittering, one day they may be powerful also for good, and of found somewhere among the schemes N y ,'„ i g eill i h e , and logical, his despatch in reply to the French insulting the power whose political freedom is a been brought forward ; and the only i ti i 0 0 1 ,1 Emperor's suggestion read in the ears of all Europe standing reproach to a people who desiring liberty Parliament has to perform is to elimina te • o r prite - i ; as a polemical tractatse This was not the way to and unity are still the meek subjects of 30 prince- plans before it the vast mass of useless or' nbtc. smooth over an obviously awkward duty. In the lings, and they will quaff the cup to the bottom. cable lines, and to leave a working s yster a be m in!: House of Peers last week Lord Russell defended Why not ? God is far off, and England afraid of afford all the accommodation desired, with t 1301 himself characteristically upon this charge. He Napoleon, and the world for the moment is theirs to mum injury to London and its inhabitant°'ontrol°o extracted two civil expressions from his letter and do what they will—to destroy Denmark if they do this the committee must be under the c hic h lfe! i i gave them, ore rotund°, to his audience as evidence like, in order that Prussian recruits may become some one comprehensive principle in 5c 1g ,,,01, 1( , 1 0 that he had answered the Emperor like a friend veterans, and that Hapsburg may not outstrip houses shall concur, and this, it may ker bas b e ' o r and not a disputant. A more absolute proof of the Hohenzollern in the race for the hegemony. What be secured by the joint committee whou ue race is iciness of the epistle could hardly have been dis- matters if a treaty is broken when the judges are proposed. It is perhaps fortunate that tP rotigli of covered. The two chilling and frigid extracts afraid to enforce it, that every little nation in Europe projectors have exerted themselves so vig ° fo leS r , sounded lake the bare civilities which, in deference is thrown open defenceless to the assaults of its the present session. A less alarming croPf the f l ' o , to society, a man pays in a drawing-room to his neighbours, that a nation is dying as some queenly might have been allowed to sliptnetropo( too throngbe ross'o deadly foe. They remind us of the metaphor woman might die if assailed by wolves, that every liamentary net without much regard to of 1,0 4° t; applied by the great O'Connell to the late Sir Itobt. honourable heart in Great Britain is beating slower nience of the unfortunate inhabitants °' iairlf or . Peel's smile. They are for all the world like the fo r shame at the s p ectacle of trium p hant wron g ? but the raid is on so ma g nificent a scale nsod Ilis silver plate upon a coffin. On the Danish question, Are not the victors Germans, and are they not the awaken the attention of the Legielaturet t oa lf 0 Lord Russell has not been a happy or successful rulin g race of earth, the only one from which the sibly to leed to a much needed reform, I : . ° lit ill t coare enondent. The estimate put by Germany on w orld p icks kings—competent for anything except the principles of railway construction, '1 the rigid asperity of his pen , w as shown b y the freedom and fidelity ? It is useless, however, with whole machinery of private bill business' Saxon Minister's passionate reply to one of Lord Tories hungering for a surplus, and Liberals thirst- Russell's letters. Nor have the Danes, it is said, ing to show the world that England means more reason to be satisfied than M. von Beust. In peace even when peace is humiliation, to write obedience to England's earnest pressure, they have about treaties, and honour, and nationalities, and surrendered their diplomatic position, and as it " abstract ideas" of that kind. Tue only argument seems to very little purpose. Foreign rumour— which comes home in the present temper of the looking before and after, and perhaps not altogether aristocratic mind is interest, and we ask them just unfamiliar with Sidney Smith's joke about Lord to consider for a moment whether apathetic inde- Russell's readiness to command the Channel fleet, cision is in this matter their true interest ? Are even attributes to Lord Russell's advice the mill- they really prepared to allow two great Powers to tary retreat of General Meza from the Dannewerke. tear a province from a little Power because a sec- This ludicrous piece of gossip betrays the amuse- tion of the inhabitants of the province speak the ment felt by foreigners at the policy of the Eug- same language as one-half of the two aggressive lish Foreign-office. We are really to some extent populations do ? Because, if they are, we want to this day the laughing-stock of the capitals of the know on what principle they intend to fight for the Continet. As for the veiled threats addressed Channel Islands, or the Mauritius, or Gibraltar, or by the noble lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs any one of the thirty dependencies of Great Britain to Germany, we suppose they have come to nothing in which English is not universally spoken. That —at all events, they have been contemptuously Germany intends to keep the Duchies is, we hold, neglected by Austria and Prussia, not to mention certain, and to keep them upon the ground of the smaller States. This time Lord Russell cannot national consanguinity. These Powers have been be accused of perusing the plan he adopted with re- driven to the war which qua war they did not de spect to Russia. The Northern Cabinet was allowed sire by the pressure of German feeling, which feel to understand that we meant no blows, and it posing has been intensified by every military success, sibly availed itself of the considerate information, and will most certainly not permit them to sur- Vienna and Benin were given no such promise, In render the long desired prize. The Courts have been disregarding England's summons to abstain from from the first unable to resist the commands of the hostilities, they quietly took their chance of an Eng- excited democracy of Germany, and nothing has lish fleet in the Adriatic. This fleet, as they insult- occurred in the war to strengthen their power over ingly anticipated, never came. An unfriendly critic their peoples' passions. If they yield to them they might with some plausibility believe that the Ger- are safe, and except their own safety what have man Powers had taken stock pretty fairly of the they to consult ? There is th© Treaty of 1852, but diplomatic thunder of the Foreign-office. The policy the Hohenzollerns have just violated a contract of of much cry and little wool is positively fatal to at least equal validity. M. Bismark writes openly peace in the long run. We shall be very much sur- that a quarrel with Smith dissolves all contracts prised if Lord Russell is as popular in the City as a with Jones, and the Hapsburgs have broken every Foreign Minister as he used to be as a domestic engagement they ever, made, unless, indeed, politician. All these humiliations added up. The it bound them to make priests a little nation becomes daily more impatient, and at last, stronger. There is France, but Germany, perhaps, surges into war fer some worthless cause, united, thinks herself a match for France, because it is weary of giving advice gratis. Having sings in her spasm of energy songs about wringing steered out of war on great questions that we care " Elsass " from the stranger, and doubtless were about, at last we shall, out of sheer spirit, be driven France only as weak as Denmark would try to exec to make war about a bagatelle. cute her threat. There is England, but Germany repeats with sneering gusto that Earl Russell's 'WEEKLY REGISTER.—In his speech the first night threats are wind ; that England fights only when of the session, Lord Palmerston asked sarcastically, her interests are imperilled, and that national dig at least four times, whether his Government had not nit yis not in England considered an interest. The a policy—each question following upon some bold two Powers can break the Treaty, and they will, if assertion that drew down ministerial cheers, respect only it is clear that breaking it will pay ; and with ing the diplomacy of Dawning - street with refere nce to the Dano-German quarrel. "We have," he ex - provinces to acquire, a democracy to conciliate, a claimed triumphantly, '• a policy—the policy of weak foe to outrage, and only England to insult, maintaining the peace and the integrity of the who can doubt that the profit is secure? There will Danish monarchy, and we have to a great extent be, of course, negotiations, for German professors succeeded in it." And this was said while the Danes love to prove rights on paper; there will probably and the Germans were hotly engaged in mortal com - be half-a-dozen subterfuges, for a plain appeal to the sabre might bring a flash into Engler sleepy bat, and while the kingdom of Denmark was in the act of dismemberment. The war , which we have all eyes; there will, doubtless, be a popular vote, for, along anticipated, has broken out, and the Danish as Jules Fevre said, modern creeds require us to army, seeing no chance of hol di n g th eir fortified search the victim's entrails for fay curabl e auguries ; position a geioverwhelmingnst the masses of the but when all these things are done Denmark will enemy, have abandoned the Duchy of Schleswig, have lost Schleswig, and a nationality older than and retreated to the island of Allen. Had they our own will be left without resource save that one done so ten days ego many lives would have which seems pleasant only to Buddhists, absorption been spared, much irritation would have been in something greater than oneself. Is it our interest avoided, and the chances of King Christian's re- to allow this example of successful violence to tempt taining the Duchy of Schleswig would have been France to seize the Rhine, and Russia the frontier very much better than they are now. We are in a of the Balkan? Resisting either of those two ag position to state confidently that when the Austrian gressions would cost us rather more than sending a fleet to Venice and an expedition into Jutland, yet troops were set in motion, there was every wish in the Government of Vienna to preserve Schleswig, those are the ultimate dangers which we risk in at least, for the King of Denmark. How f a r that order to avoid the possibility of the first of them. We may avert them, say some Radicals, by steadily wish has been modified or rendered d if fi cul t of accomplishment by the events that have since oc- refusing to mingle in any Continental affair, as, in curred, is another question, . All we can say—and deed, it is possible to avoid trouble when the next house is on fire by calmly goin g to bed. That is non we say it with confidence — is , th a t i f De nmark should lose the Duchies, Lords Palmerston and intervention in perfection ; but then there is risk Russell and their newspapers will have done the in that course as well as cowardly neglect of ortuna F mischief. They stung Germany into fury by their duty,Fortunately there is not the smallest fear of insolent scolding and menaces, and they encou- Englishmen forgetting that dignity is at least an raged the Danes to obstinacy and rashness by their element in comfort, or holding that human being s pompous parade of British sympathy, and their pro- are to them mere objects of scientific interest, or mises of aid, which was not to come when wanted. consenting to live as members of a family scorned by This they did thinking that France would take part all the families with which it must per force asso with them in intimidating Germany. But the ciate. Short of a policy of selfish isolation, of German Courts, great and small, knew better, and watching crime with a sensation of amusement, it is Austria and Prussia were assured their advance to surely the interest of Great Britain that her friend theship should have some value, and her enmity some 5 chlei and across it would not cause a French army to advance to the Rhine. And the same importance, that her vote for peace and freedom good authority elso made them quite easy with re- should weigh with armed despots, that her "opini o n" gard to Sweden anti Piedmont. This we s t ated should be something more than the shout of an edu a fortnight or three weeks ai;^7 and we now repeat cated mob. Yet that is the position to which we it, in the teeth of assertions o: a somewhat are reduced if the governing class insists that we opposite character, that have fallen L: the have done all that friendship can ask for Denmark, 7 because, lomat h ! we have suggested a conf e re nce — First Minister and the Secretary for Foreign have 7commended chloroform in order to m a k e Affairs. These ministers denounce Austria and Prussia for going to war after Denmark had amputation easy. promised to comply with all their demands, and SATURDAY REVIEW.—Out of the multitude of after her Majesty's Government undertook to plans for metropolitan railways already deposited, guarantee the fulfilment of that promise. In the materials can be found to piece out almost any the first place, there was no such promise and no general scheme which could possibly be determined such undertaking. The Ki ng o f Denmark pro- on, and all that is needed now is to perform the task mised to convoke the Rigsdag in six weeks, with a of selection on some intelligible and consistent prin view to their sanctioning the revocation of the Con- ciple. To mention only a few of the more conspi stitution of last November, which is a very different cuous projects as they appear in the report of the thing from promising absolutely to recall the Con- Board of Trade, we find, first, an entire system stitution ; and the British Government promised to of lines proposed by the Metropolitan Rail invite the Governments of France, Russia, and way Company. The short line from • P a d- Sweden to join them in a Protocol requiring the dington to Farringdon-street has proved 80 Danish Government to fulfil the promises made to successful that it is intended to extend it from both Germany by the late King of Denmark before the extremities, to the Minories and the Blackwell Rail- Treaty of 1852 was perfected, which is a very way on the East, and to Kensington and the Vic different order indeed from that o f guaranteeing tons Station on the S ou th and West; and it is also the revocation of the new Danish Constitution. proposed to make other subordinate lines to improve But even if the promise and the guarantee were the connections with the main trunk railways, be what they aro erroneously stated to have been, they sides a branch to introduce into the system St. John's came too late. Such as they were, they were not Wood and the Hampstead Railway. A different submitted to the Cabinets of Vienna and Berlin project, having the same object o f making the cir until the order had been given for the Austrian and cult of London, commences at the Kensington Sta- Prussian armies to advance, and all the arran g e- tion, p i erces through Chelsea and Pimlico to the ments for taking forcible possession of Schleswig Victoria terminus, thence goes direct to Wesemin were completed. If Lord Russell, instead of "mad- ster along the Tames Embankment, and on by y, Cannon -street and Tower-laill, where it forms a dling and muddling," had gone to work discreetl y, junctiond with the Blackwell and North London and devoted to statesmanlike diplomacy the time as the an he wasted in mischievous lecturing and hectoring, li nes throws out one arm to the North as tar it is not at all improbable that war between Ger theer e Metropolitan line, and another across the many and Denmark might have been prevented; river, b y the Thames tunnel or otherwise, to bring bat he only became discreet and civil when he found that bullying would not do, and, in the ex- Southern lines into the general circuit. Then there is yet another company with a group of lines cited state of German feeling, it might have been connecting all the northern and southern railways more than the thrones of Austria and Prussia are on the east sid e o f L on d on, an d a l so p u tti ng for worth to have then countermanded the order to ward its independent claim for the occupation of the advance. hitherto useless tunnel. In addition to these inde- SPECTATOR.—Patriotism and valour, heroism and pendent schem es , th e Bl ac k we ll R a ilway C om p any bu self-sacrifice, have all alik e f a iled to stop the has its own pl an f or connect i ng it s system with the are lets, and the military ty ran nies of Germany Great Northern and Midland Railways,and extend masters of the half o f S c hl e swig. General de ing i it to the di s t r i cts o f T o tt e nham and Edg ware . north Meza, the Jew soldier in chief command o f b finding that the Prussians coulde iy united a bthesuburban widerw iwith ircui t the w Great ra ii aya of Eastern ag Danish army, cross theain is to b ofe the Schlei, that the Dannewerke was thereby London and with th e North-Western and Metropo be Wan systems. The unbuilt Embankment is to be forced either to accept battle against twofold ntal" , fought for by Tarim companies who compete for COUNTRY MARKETS. ----- YORK—SexunDAY. lo t g° There was a limited show of wheat at ro ar , e fje tldt and the sales were slow—former quotat i o ns beic; ,, de1 0 0 1.4 made. A short supply of barley, with a tolers for at about last week's rates. An impr ove d detv sP took place, at previous prices, Beans as bef ore ' 183 t0,,,0 Wheat, red 37s to 40s Oats.... - --- . to ---- to , a 4 White do .40s to 45s Beans ......... Barley .26s to 32s Peas ........ ' ow , Malt, 58s to 60s per qr. ; rye, 30s per clr'; to 31s per sack. GRANTHAM—SANT/1 0 N Y. 440 r n et le i, Old white wheat, 45s to 48s; red, 4 20 p,3+ new white, 44s to 465; red, 408 to 425. v• 01 0 56.4. 33s to 36s pe . : qr ; grinding, 28s to 30s ; oa 3.1 s 26s ; new, 20s to 24s ; beans, 34s to 375; P eas ' hd N RW I C a-sATuRDAY. resP r e There was a fair supply of wheat, and price s ,4o; 4 / la same as on this day se'nnight for best safillig sorts in favour of the buyers. Th e re was a 'ft Flo 11r the supply of barley, but at fully late rate. unaltered. O t t ° o s ls 4 i White wheat. 44s to 47s R e d wheat..• • ,', 1 ,5 5 , 11 0' , " Malting barley ...35s to 37s Ch e valier ba le). . 4 2,1, 5 '' Distilling 20s to' I 30s I Oats.. ....... Flour, 27s 6d to —s Od per sack fronl LEICESTER—SIrunD O. Iio gf New white wheat, 42s to 46s ; red, 3 96 t° „,,,r, 0 , - 0 1 ' 4 ! 9arloy' 013", stone. Old red, 39s to 41s per 36 stone. new, 32s to 36s per qr.; grinding, 27s t ° 2 . 9 al s 'inot °°. 258 to 288; new oats, 21s to 23s per 24 v,,, e r:w old, 40s to 42s per 38 stone ; flour, 27s to 3 1s r NOTTINGHAM—SATvEDO' f , O, s l P " White wheat, from 415 to 49s ; red 1N 2 13 7 ,110 3 ,30 13° 0 . Ot" Barley—malting, 30s to 38s • grinding, old, at 24s to 30s Od ; new, 19s to 255. I 3efals 3 P er °c to 42s per fine , new, 34s to36s Flour, 34s te 38s ; seconds, 29s to -2° re ° if e pi DUBLIN—FRIDAY. b. g raill "10 The market was dull, and all sorts of Iri s ,. 00' o, shade lower. Foreign wheat very slow, b tl '' tv , p a, OA neglected. Flour and oatmeal dull. 0. 0 to /' 1 0 a to 0 Wheat, white 21 0t026 6 Oatmeal .... ..-- "to . 0 ,/, Do., red 2l 6to 24 0 Beans.. '''' --- oto ~ov Do., new Barley Oats Do., black — oto 0 Indian 0111' Foreign Mail Packet 41 ,:s Australia razuan d an e d a p M e a v ur e i r t , i i t e l s , Feb' lf" Cape of Good Hope Ascension,A' Itil'tlS' China, Penang, via Marseilles .:....... Tel , ' 18. GFaiblkralaltnadr,lsvii lieleiptop,;eD, by v l i L a ß S S ri o t u i as i jtn'hnEdapm.sa et p . t o e 11 ,,. : . o.o.lseebv:.. /0,,.1 and Singapore, via Seu tl les ." B : outhampton ..... jet' : ''''''''''''''''' c..0.0..,:f1e,441'.: India India (( B C (Calcutta), lmc übaltant yad)S) and via Southampton Ceylon,vviiaaS3°l.ua r • ti . 3 • 3::11:15 . .....' ::: t ee L i' : 61 5.. via Marseilles ........ '..,.' el) . 0, , Portugal ' •. • . ......................... ' ~.. e l). if, Stalin, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampto9**,.ob. via Marseilles ...:..,re ii, ........ " ~ ''Fey' Newfoundland Oporto and Vigo ............ , ....... • A U . S. and British N. America, by Brit. row, ke t.o:fel / ' 10' bye .s• A V o ' pse °' l or' i i ' by tna.'.- , 0 OP' 39 , W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Tenerida...: ~,: e .0 , 1 , Bahamas, via New York , ......... ... }Feb ' All California, Mexico parts . . o " tiV:i i it . B lndies,..l ti. ....................................................... ... # O P O i srl i "=._.•.___- -- r — =-- -- - ------.— _____ JO,. Die' o ~,,,-, 0% A i , „ OtA No HOME complete without a: IT - - ,„ C ,t e at , " li eli,„s ' n SEwINE-MA CHINE. Simple, compact, e''''-equirlicAtlv oiseless. Warranted to fulfil all the r- seP 1 4 1 Op , ifo-' perfect family machine. Prospectus free , V' No. 135, Regent-street, W.—[Auv T.] 0100'019p [ADVERTISEMENT.] —Consumption, a ll t : f re, O r i e r ti oo ; 4 10 liver, and stomach complaints, in every s , deeo r se l4 ' l o ,l gravated and accelerated by drugs of re ctoreer'ychlon,4l4l perfectly curable by Du Barry's health °ollol, Arabica Food, as proved by thousands 4)4,0;00°40 been considered hopeless. We quote a t e ' c 'toe cl ,,st s t te Miss Lange, 18 years of age, cured after tl O l ote , ,, c etot",,, abandoned all hopes of her recoverY fr ° e ll, e7 O ll e f tl yet a ' pulmonary consumption, with fearful t o 's, V A ' fif e ' ', exhaustion, spitting of blood, persPirato, 00'10410,1 emaciated to a skeleton. She is now' tl i ' o . e , CO i 1 ,4 ,t r i iie; healthy, blooming, fleshy girl.—N. l'ioDers'fble-1: Police. Cure, No. 46,270. Mr. Jones ~,,ittiag° 4 7,l S. ,,i ' otir,, Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lung,ro, 'r e, So. - lo p - r derangement, and partial deafness.---Cur,,,-,less, ,Clit,;r11:1 Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nerf°-foncietio, I",ist gatherings, low spirits, and nervetu4Fotteal'iol r e d , 01 4 /, 5.1,816. The Rev. James T. CamPbell' f w hic l ' 48 . 4 0, i 'l of indigestion and torpidity of the li sre '' 94 i; 2 11 :'0. , ; A O!. all medical reatment. In tins, lib, 2 ° 1 A O 010, ,30 , 115; 121 b, 228; 241 b, 40s. Barry du n arr .,d O t t 1 0* i Regent-street, London ; also Fortnuratu% /Joffe / grocers and chemists in every tom °I ~--7 it __------- Vi --- a t e, s 9, l'rl° Bi r ths. 04,5'- ofd' FEILDING.—On the 11 th inst., a t „, a ref id Louisa Feilding, of a daughter. ~,_ford.te'(o3, fp HALL.-0a the 11th inst., at 16, ,i r -, ) , 6 . '„,., o f s: t itef park, the wife of Frederick llall, f!,. "dye. ,ife' WEnsTER.—On the 10th inst., at 1 1 5 , t l i o li- el3 l. Webster, of a son. A Lev, A te.. WYNDHAM.—On the 12th inst., ab f a datio Penruddocke Wyndham, ° ( l , ° Lle ti ; 4y 0 . ti t w, l „, m arr iageS• u 105 1.' 0 0i: fo r the ot et , t , t old DUDGEON—HOLDSIVORTII.---00, ~ n e gill i t i . . 0 ,iog ham, Captain J. J. Dudgeon, , 2 1 .,. cico. , _ A, 00 younger daughter of the late 1. e‘ ren i tl ° 1,. htre• t 1 3eft tei vicar of Aldborolgh, Yor. -8 , „,t,, s. D jstotic t MILLER—WAUDE.—On the Stu .-. , s. to J fto. W. Miller, late of the Scots cr_.-184., '0 War VI daughter of the late R. F. , g r° ‘ 0 Deaths. 00 o clo t Gli JO° p 4 BOND.—On the 12th inst., at lac)scor P Bond, aged 77. t diobilrg ht „J, ~to., GUNN.—On the Bth inst., 0 , 0 •,. of Esq., R.N. i• at S t I°l3° (O tt' Wilson Hillhouse, Esq., ag eu u 1 62, 1 1030 4 00 0 HILLTIOUSE.—On the 13th ins," , cz i. ~,a PIA' ./ ti a., 0 i claP o r 4 4 HoGGART.---On the 12th 1 ~,,q . o ,41 Oe° Charles Lancelot Iloggart, i-' , 'cocoa, t at Po J oe" , 0 0di JEssop.—On the 11th Wit-, ijolle ii $ I M il l ] e ) l it OP Wilmot Middleton, Esq. , a. u ' t w bost/P .4 0 ' inel a :.I.l:l'rNe.d.....Joenssothp,e sioilticbition:e•tA.,2a3t. 1, i; RAWSON.—On the llth ' ik 4 Rawson, Esq., ag ed 78 ' d Ar' P 11 "" 0 oi l vpi , .o flo (1 DY Se' 0' te , at e l fa , 41 Strand, Ai the Precirlat.l..,y Of 1 Lonodfonzi:ol:rliii2l::esdtarnanddl:l;rittirer, th $ .11: 10 di. rcPro nudoepoic.7-zoY, STOCKTON AND DARLINGTON. The report of the committee of this section of the North- Eastern Company states that no change can now take place in the authorised capital, excepting those alterations of loans into debenture stock provided for by the company's acts prior to the amalgamation. The calling up of the unpaid ordinary shares until the full amount of £25 each is paid will be continued. The reserve fund, with the addition of other sums belonging to the Stockton and Darlington sec tion, now amounts to £55,240, and the committee advise that this amount be left for the present intact. The earnings of the amalgamated companies have enabled the committee to recommend that a dividend at the rate of 8 per cent. per annum be declared for the past half year on the ordinary shares, leaving a balance of £2,879. HEREFORD, HAY, AND BRECON. The report of the directors states that the terms of a working agreement 11:. ve been arranged between this com pany and the Kingston and Eardesley Railway Company. The directors have concurred in the introduction of a Bill permitting the Brecon and Merthyn Company to make working arrangements with this company. The engineer's report states that the works on the second section of the line were steadily progressing. The whole of the earthworks and bridges between Eardesley and Hay have been com pleted, and the works between the latter place and the junc tion with the Mid .Wales line are in a forward state. TALE OF NEATH. The report states that the receipts for the half year ended the 31st December, 1862, were £51,632, and the expenses £27,602, and for the half year ended the 31st December, 1863, the receipts were £62,565, and the expenses £28,473, showing an increase in the receipts compared with those of the:corresponding period of the preceding year of £10,933, and in expenses of only £B7l. The extension of the line from Neath to Swansea was opened for coal traffio on the 15th of July, for passenger traffic on the Ist of August, and for general traffic on the 24th of August last, and the re sults of the extension had fully realised the expectations entertained, having added considerably to the revenue, while, on the other hand, the working expenses had been but slightly augment ed. The narrow gauge had been laid down between Swansea and a junction of the West Midland section of the Great Western Railway at Aberdare, and it was proposed to complete the narrow gauge to Merthyr, so as to connect the company's lines with the narrow gauge lines terminating these. The amount available for dividend was £14,273, which would admit of a dividend at the rate of 4 per cent. per annum, carrying forward a balance of £790. The capital account to the 31st of December last showed that £1,410,418 had been received, leaving a balance of £34,337 unexpended. The revenue account for the half-year showed a total receipt of £62,565, and a total expenditure of £29,115, leaving a balance of £33,450. ULSTER. The half-yearly meeting of this company was held on Wednesday at Belfast, Mr. W. Coates in the chair, The report was read by the Secretary. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, said he would be glad to hear any remarks on it or to answer any questions respecting further information that might be desired. Mr. W. C. ALLEN seconded the motion. Captain GRAY said he considered that the report and accounts were very satisfactory. He thought the new sta tion at Portadown was very creditable to the engineer ; it was not only spacious, but complete in every respect. He felt certain that the shareholders were well satisfied to re ceive the handsome dividend of 5 per cent. He believed there was not another railway in Ireland paying so much. For the last five years the company had declared larger dividends than any other railway company in the country. In order to preserve their prosperous position they should have nothing further to do with extensions until after the company had a few years' rest. Those new schemes were were generally got up by solicitors and engineers, who no doubt gained by them ; but they generally proved most un profitable to the shareholders. Mr. THOMSON contended that the company should issue return tickets to third class passengers as well as to first and second class passengers, and he believed the result would be satisfactory. Resolutions were passed adopting the report and declaring a dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum on the ordi nary shares, less income-tax, payable on the 19th inst. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceedings. LYTHAM AND BLACKPOOL. The half-) early meeting of this company was held re cently at Lytham, Mr. J. C. Milne in the chair. The report, which was adopted, stated that the receipts on the capital account amounted to £65,200, and the expen diture to £65,858. The cost of land at the Blackpool end had exceeded the Parliamentary estimate by £lO,OOO. The re venue account showed that the receipts for the six months ending the 6th October last amounted to £2,674 ; the work ing expenses to £1,154, and the gross profit to £1,520, from which was deducted interest on about £20,500 borrowed, leaving a net balance of £1,113. The directors, finding the fares originally fixed were too low, had raised them. Ap plications had been made to Parliament for powers to make a railway from the company's line at Blackpool to Fleetwood. EDINBURGH AND BATHGATE. The half-yearly meeting took place at Edinburgh on Friday, Mr. Hill in the chair. The traffic returns received from the lessees (Edinburgh and Glasgow) amounted to £6,215 for the half .year, showing a decrease of £5O, caused by a decrease in the tonnage of minerals. The directors had taken steps to protect the interests of this company in the bill for the amalgamation of the Edinburgh and Glasgow and other railways. The usual dividend of Cs. per share was announced. The report was approved, and Mr. Hill was le-elected chairman. DUNABURG AND WITEPSK. The report of the directors states that Mr. Williams, the resident engineer, was despatched to Russia in the month of June las t for the purpose of laying out the line and making all necessary arrangements for commencing the works. A contract had been subsequently entered into fo: the pur chase of the whole land required for £34,000. Considerable progress had already been made in the works commencing at Dunaburg. The expenditure necessary for the works gene rally for the present year had been estimated at about £500,000. The board proposed to make a call of £•5 per share early in the spring, which would pro ince £130,000. Same of the proprietors having expressed a wish to pay up their shares in full, so as to have 6 per cent. on the amount during construction, the directors were prepared to give the opinion to the shareholders of paying up calls in advance on the shares to the extent of £BO per share ; and should the company's outlay require payments equal to the original estimate of £S3 per share, the directors had no doubt they would be able to provide the small balance of the issue of debentures. After the opening of the whole of the line the receipts, including the Government guarantee, would be distributed rateably over the shares, according to the amount paid up on each. The report of Mt. J. Hawkshaw, the engineer, stated that although the contract with Messrs. Pete and Betts for the construction of the railway was only signed on the 23d of June last, very satisfactory progress had been made. Beginning at Dunaburg the earthwork and culverts for a length of 22 versts had been completed, and the rails had been laid for a dis tance of 18 versts, and at Dunaburg a junction had been effected with the Riga and Dunaburg Railway. The contrac tors had been supplied with working sections of the line from Dunaburg to Polotsk, a distance of 152 verats, and they had made arrangements for the vigorous prosecution of that portion of the works so soon as the winter terminated; in the meantime they were delivering materials along the line. The expenditure on capital account to December 31st amounted to £257,647, including £lll,OOO caution money deposited at Riga, leaving a balance of £27,935. DUTCH RHENISH. The receipts for the fortnight ending January 31, 1864, amounted to £8,187, and for the corresponding period last year to £7,426, showing an increase of £761. The receipts since the commencement of the present book-year, May 1, 1863, including the above, amounted to £174,393, showing an increase, as compared with the corresponding period of last year, of £11,525. The working expenses for the fort night amounted t0£3,779, or 46.14 per cent. of the receipts, and for the corresponding period of last year to £3,453, showing an increase of £326. The working expenses, from May 1, 1863, to Jan. 31, 1864, amounted to £67,991, or 38.85 per cent of the receipts. SOUTH YORKSHIRE. It appears that the directors of this company intend to propose at the next half.yearly meeting a dividend at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum upon the stock of the com pany, LONDON AND NOKTII-WESTERN. The capital account of this company to the 31st of De cember, 1863, states that the receipts on stock and shares amount to £25,588,111, on debentures to £10,269,730, on on temporary loans to £250,000, on 3 . 1 per cent, debenture stock, to £310,830, and on 4 per cent. debenture stock to £1,875,137—t0ta1, £38,293,808, interest and dividend on the whole of which is charged to revenue. The total ex penditure on the mair, lines, land, works, &c., amounts to £27,379,270 —for engines, carriages, waggons, &0., to £4,069,383 --on lands and building yielding rent, to £463,907—0n railways in which the company have an in terest £5,416,472 —and for the improvement of the per manent way 1333,021 —making together £37,667,047, leaving a balance of £626,761, The expenditure on THE CONDEMNED PIRATES. A communication was received on Saturday by ,he Sheriffs from Sir G. Grey, in answer to the ap __ plication that was made to the Home Secretary by those gentlemen, asking him to take steps to have the execution of the seven pirates c Arried out at one of the seaport towns instead of in the city of Lon dod. The reply was to the effect that Sir G. Grey did not deem it advisable to have the prisoners re moved from Newgate, and consequently the execu tion must take place in the usual course. It appears that some exertions are being made by Mr. Beard, the solicitor who defended the prisoners, upon the instructions of the consuls of the nations to which they respectively belong to endeavour to save the lives of Marchelino and Los Santos, on the ground that there is no evidence to show that they were concerned in the murder of either the captain or any of the ether persons who lost their lives, and that all that was proved against them was that they appeared to have concurred with what after wards took place. These two culprits put their names to the memorial, and an endeavour was made to induce the gentlemen who constituted the jury by which they were tried to sign it also. Tbis, however, was found to be a difficult task, as nearly the whole of them expressed their opinion that it was clear from the evidence that although the two prisoners Marchelino and Los Santos, might not have been actually present when the murders were committed, there was no doubt they took an active part in the mutiny, and that consequently they were as guilty as any of the others, and only one of the jury would sign the memorial. The general opinion among the authorities is that this memorial is not likely to be attended with any effect, and that the sentence will be carried out upon the whole of the culprits. Since the establishment of the Central Criminal Court not a single case has occurred of a capital conviction under the Admiralty jurisdiction of the court, and indeed most of the cases are tried at Liverpool. Before the Cantral Criminal Court was created, the culprits who were convicted of capital offences upon the high seas, wore taken in a cart from Newgate to the Execution Dock, not far from the site of the old Thames Police• office, where they were hanged on the river shore, and at the com mencement of the present century the bodies of several pirate murderers might be seen hanging in chains at that spot. The culprits during the past week seem to have been awakened to a slight extent to their awful position. They have most of them relations in some or other of the Spanish islands, who are of course entirely ignorant of their fate; but upon their ex pressing a wish that they should be communicated with and informed of their position, the Sheriffs afforded them every facility for doing so, and letters have been written to the fathers, mothers, and other relatives of the culprits, to whom they wished them to be addressed, informing them of the position in which they are placed. The culprits have been con tinually visited during the week by two Roman Catholic priests, the Rev. Mr. Hussey, from Moor fields Chapel, and Father Louis, a Spanish priest, who converses with the prisoners in their own language. The Rev. Mr. Davis, the ordinary of the gaol of Newgate, has been spared the pain of interfering on the present occasion, as, independently of the pri soners being Roman Catholics, the whole of them, except Lyons and Vartas (or Watter) as he was called at the trial, are qu ite ignorant of the English language, and these two spoke ve r y little En g lish. The culprits seem to have conducted themselves tolerably well since their conviction, bat they are evi dently hardened, desnerate ruffians ; and Lopez, or the " Cablan," as he was termed, only seems to be an - noyed at not being allowed to smoke , and repeatedly asks, " Why they keep him so long?" and why the sentence is not carried out more quickly. They are all in separate cells, and are never left alone, so that they have not had the least opportunity of com with each other since their conviction , municating as it is not all improbable, if they had an opportu nity might have concocted some scheme of t violence,h ey to be carried out when the time for their execution arrived. It is expected that the scaffold will be altered so as to admit of there being two cross beams instead of one, and four of the culprits will be executed upon one of these beams and three upon the other. The precaution will also be taken of bringing every one of the prisoners separately to the press-room, as it is termed, to be pinioned, and the whole seven will not be together until they are so secured as to render any attempt at violence alto gether impossible. The sheriffs have also given directions for other proceedings to be taken with a like object. As regards the prisoner Lyons, it appears that he is suffering so severely from rheu matism that he is not able to stand, and it is ex pected that it will be necessary to carry him to the place of execution. [ADVERTISEMENT.] —Holloway's Ointment— Cold ther.—Turn which way you will, go where you please, persons will be found who have a ready word ot praise for this Ointment. For chaps, chafes, scalds, bruises, and bad legs caused by sprains it is an invaluable rem ed y ; for accident or cold, it may be confidently relied upon for effecting a sound and permanent cure. In cases el erysi pelas, swelled ankles, gout, or rheumatism, Holloway's Ointment gives the greatest comfort, by reducing the in flammation, cooling the blood, smoothing the nerves, adjust ing circulation, and expelling impurities. This Ointment should have a place in every nursery. It will cure the long list of skin affections which originate in childhood, and gain strength with the child's growth. 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